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The Entry Level #34 Contacts

Sidebar: Contacts

AudioQuest, 2621 White Road, Irvine, CA 92614. Tel: (949) 585-0111. Web: www.audioquest.com.

NAD Electronics International, 633 Granite Court, Pickering, Ontario L1W 3K1, Canada. Tel: (905) 831-6555. Web: www.nadelectronics.com.

Wharfedale. US distributor: Sound Solutions, 1811 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Chicago, IL 60660. Tel: (312) 738-5025. Web: www.soundsolutionsus.com.

The 2013 Burning Amp, the DIYAudio forum's "annual experiment in temporary community dedicated to radical self-expression and self-reliance," got off to a slow start. Although a semi-hidden posting about the one-day, all-volunteer event, held in six rooms at San Francisco's Fort Mason Center on Sunday, October 6, appeared months ago, the email blast to the Burning Amp mailing list only went out late on October 3. As a result, attendance was light, making it much easier to listen to music in the extremely live, audio unfriendly rooms.

Central to every Burning Amp is Nelson Pass (above),…

The Fifth Element #81

Long experience has convinced me that many audiophiles' stereo systems substantially underperform compared to what they could sound like. This is not because people haven't spent enough money on their electronics or speakers. Instead, people aren't getting all the performance they've paid for because they haven't devoted enough attention to all aspects of the initial setup, and/or to maintenance and updating.

Reduced to its essentials, a stereo system is a machine designed to convert the electricity that comes out of your wall outlet into mechanical motion by the loudspeakers, which…

The Fifth Element #81 Page 2

The high-quality outlet I'm most familiar with is Shunyata Research's SR-Z1, widely available for ca $95. Unless you're an experienced home handyman, hiring a licensed electrician to do the changeover pays dividends in peace of mind. If you do swap out these outlets yourself, an inexpensive outlet-polarity checker such as Klein Tools' RT-100 (ca $5, available at Home Depot) will confirm, before you've touched any wires, that you've turned off the power to the correct outlet; and, later, that you've properly reconnected the neutral and hot wires.

During installation of a better outlet,…

The Fifth Element #81 Contacts

Sidebar: Contacts

AI Technology, Inc., 70 Washington Road, Princeton Junction, NJ 08550-1012. Tel: (800) 735-5040, (609) 799-9388. Fax: (609) 799-9308. Web: www.aitechnology.com.

Ayre Acoustics, Inc., 2300-B Central Ave., Boulder, CO 80301. Tel: (303) 442-7300. Fax: (303) 442-7301. Web: www.ayre.com.

Caig Laboratories, Inc., 12200 Thatcher Court, Poway, CA 92064. Tel: (858) 486-8388. Fax: (858) 486-8398. Web: www.caig.com

D.W. Electrochemicals Ltd., 3-97 Newkirk Road N., Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 3G4, Canada. Tel: (905) 508-7500. Fax: (905) 508-7502. Web: www.…

Wharfedale Diamond 10.7 loudspeaker

In a recent email, a reader, having read my review of the Monitor Audio Silver RX6 loudspeaker in the June 2012 issue, said that he'd like to see it compared with the similarly priced Wharfedale Diamond 10.7 ($1299/pair) and Epos Elan 10 ($1000/pair). That sounded interesting. The floorstanding 10.7 is the flagship model of Wharfedale's Diamond series, six models up from the Diamond 10.1 bookshelf (which I reviewed in July 2011) and featuring the same dome tweeter. And the Epos Elan 10 essentially replaces the Epos M5i, which I reviewed in February 2011, and which has served as my reference…

Wharfedale Diamond 10.7 loudspeaker Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Three-way, unshielded, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) soft-dome tweeter, 2" (50mm) dome midrange unit, two 6.5" (165mm) woven-Kevlar–cone woofers. Crossover frequencies: 150Hz/850Hz/4.5kHz. Frequency range: 30Hz–24kHz. HF limit (–10dB): 44kHz. Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Sensitivity: 90dB/W/m. Recommended amplification: 30–200W.
Dimensions: 37.6" (965mm) H by 8.7" (223mm) W by 11.7" (301mm) D. With spiked feet: 39.8" (1020mm) H. Weight: Not specified.
Finishes: Blackwood, Cinnamon Cherry, Quilted Rosewood.…

Wharfedale Diamond 10.7 loudspeaker Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: VPI TNT IV, Rega Planar 3 turntables; Immedia, Syrinx PU-3 tonearms; Koetsu Urushi, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood cartridges.
Digital Sources: Lector CDP-7T, Creek Destiny CD players.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D, Creek Destiny phono stages; Audio Valve Eclipse line stage.
Power Amplifier: Audio Research Reference 75.
Integrated Amplifier: Creek Destiny.
Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Excite X12, Epos M5i, Monitor Silver RX6.
Cables: Interconnect (all MIT): Magnum M3, MI-350 CVTwin Terminator, MI-330SG Terminator.…

Wharfedale Diamond 10.7 loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Wharfedale Diamond 10.7's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. My estimate of the Wharfedale's voltage sensitivity was a fairly high 89.7dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is within experimental error of the specified 90dB. The Diamond 10.7's electrical impedance and phase angle are shown in fig.1. The phase angle is high only when the impedance magnitude is also high, ameliorating its negative effect. While the magnitude reaches a minimum value…

10th Anniversary Entertainment

For its 10th anniversary, the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest has lined up some stellar entertainment. With more than a little help from Kimber Kable, Nordost Corporation and Reference Recordings, Marjorie Baumert began the celebration with a pre-show performance by vocalist Lillian Boutté. The only musician since Louis Armstrong to be decorated Ambassador of Music by the city of New Orleans, Boutté brought her 30 years of experience with jazz, gospel, and R&B to the first of three performances at the show. Backing her up were Eric Gunnison on piano, Mike Marlier on drums, Mark Simon on bass,…